QA-ID-0034
QUESTION
Can you please clarify as some people are still under the impression that you only pay zakat on money kept beyond a year.
For example if 1st Ramadhan is my annual zakat date then if i get money given to me before that date I include that in my payment this year? If however if i get money after the 1st then I include next year if I still have it in my possession? Is this correct?
ANSWER
﷽
Your understanding is correct.
When an individual gains ownership of the threshold amount (nisāb: equivalent to the value of 612 grams of silver) for the first time after reaching puberty, this date marks the commencement of the zakāt year (Islamic date). It is important to note and remember this date. If the individual still possesses at least the minimum threshold amount after one year elapses, they are obligated to pay zakāt on everything (after any valid deductions). He will continue doing this annually.
It is important to clarify that a full year does not need to pass on every individual amount. Any amounts held on the zakāt date are aggregated, and zakāt is calculated on the total sum. For instance, if the zakāt date falls on 1 Ramadān, then each year on 1 Ramadān, the individual must pay zakāt on the entirety of their zakātable assets (minus any valid deductions), regardless of whether they acquired some of the amount just one day before 1 Ramadān.
If an individual receives an amount after 1 Ramadān, it is not included in the total zakātable assets for that year. Instead, it will be accounted for in the following year if the individual still possesses the amount on 1 Ramadān of the subsequent year.
والله تعالى أعلم
And Allāh Knows Best
Muhammad Kalim Misbahi
